Environmental Management Senior Advisor William “Ike” White highlighted cleanup accomplishments at the Portsmouth Site during his address at the site's recent Past, Present, Future celebration, noting the site’s 70th anniversary.
White was among Congress members, local stakeholders and nearly 2,000 employees observing the site’s anniversary, according to a Dec. 6 news release.
“We are here today to celebrate a key step to ensuring a bright future for the site and the communities around it,” White said the release. “We’re completing a second major land transfer totaling 200 acres. This is in addition to the 80-acre parcel in 2018. By successfully cleaning up and returning land to the local community, we’re working to ensure the site can continue to play the same strong role it did for 70 years for the next 70 years.”
The plant construction began Nov. 18, 1952, and it was one of three U.S. facilities capable of enriching uranium for defense and energy needs. Enrichment operations ended in 2001, and today the facilities are being “decommissioned and removed for final cleanup and turnover to the community for reuse,” according to the release
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, became involved in the site in 2001 as a member of Congress, the release reported.
“I’m proud of the progress you have made. I know this is hard work but it’s really important work, and it’s important we get it cleaned up and cleaned up safely, particularly for the community,” Portman said in the release. “The community needs to know this is being done in a safe way for the long term and I’m proud of the technology and all the work that went into ensuring that would happen.”
